Dartmoor Gliding News - Wednesday 31st May 2023

(Ed: With apologies to Robin Williams) "Good morning, Brentor! Hey, this is not a test. This is wave. Time to wave it from Blackdown to Plympton!". Yesterday a call to arms went out on the DGS soaring WhatsApp group and the DGS Google Group that there was a chance of early wave.  Cue a very surprised wife when I was out the door before she and my son had even got up to go to work. "I am joining the Wednesday Wavers" I called as I left.

Adam's view of the wave bar from Plymouth as he got ready for work (Ed: Aren't you a teeny bit jealous of us "Old Farts", sorry I mean retirees?)

I arrived at the club at 0655 to see Andy on the north side of the airfield raising the windsock in a re-enactment of the the iconic image of the US Marines at Iwo Jima. He had already got the winch cables out.  Fortuitously, with this run of fine weather, the winch had been left at the east end so setting up the field was a quick evolution.

 

With that Phil and then Richard arrived on site so we rigged my Standard Cirrus, Andy's Libelle, and Phil's DG300.  We didn't rig Richard's Discus as he was duty today and ready to run two One Day Courses (Ed: Obviously the CFI, who schedules these things, thinks that the Wednesday Wavers are ready for the challenge of running two One Day Courses.  So best we not disappoint him).

Richard's view of the wave bar

Peter, turned up and was ready to rig but helped me get my glider to the launch point.  Andy was already there and he took the first launch of the day at 0819.

The early birds get the worm (Ed: But they didn't did they!)

Peter readies the Kestrel to rig whilst the club gliders are ranged for their Daily Inspections.

Andy reported encountering wave lift but he was hampered by the low cloud base which ranged from 1,500 feet to 1,200 feet and there were no gaps in the clouds that he could exploit.  He advised me to wait for the conditions to change before taking off.   Later he told me that he got rained on (Ed: We received a few spots on the ground too).  So with the wave dissipating, although there were some spectacular wave bars downwind, we decided to wait and at DGS that means getting the kettle on.

Phil is ready to join the party in his DG300

Junior Josh Wehner and his Dad turned up bright and early.  Josh had flown two flights with me in February but his three month's temporary membership had expired so he joined as a full junior member, received his joining pack, and bought a pilot's log book (Ed: Thanks to the Bank of Dad!).

 

After teas and coffees we got the club gliders out and introduced the first of our One Day Courses, Lee Champ, to the workings of a K-13.  I established that there was a dairy farming connection and soon farmer Phil and Lee were chatting away like long lost friends.

The other One Day Course candidate, Malcolm Johnson (Ed: Multiple Malcolms on the field could prove confusing), arrived and Richard started his brief to the two One Day Course Candidates.  Meanwhile we took two K-13s to the launch point, clearing the privateers out the way, and proceeded to launch at 1100.  The wind on the ground was brisk and with no sunshine it was cold, very cold (Ed: Did I mention it was cold?).

Andy searches the back of his car for any warm clothing that he can find (Ed: “Never cast a clout until May is out.”)

Josh Wehner and Mike return from their first training flight under a dark leaden sky after the wave bars closed in

Lee Champ looks excited to take his first flight of his One Day Course with Richard

New junior member Josh Wehner and Mike wait for the next set of cables (Ed: Josh, I hope that's you squinting and not kipping, although to be fair you were here nice and early to be the first of the trainees to get your name on the flying list).

Following an hour of circuits the magic started.

Andrew " Night Owl" Downing hooks Lee and Richard on (Ed: Little did Lee know but this was to be his first soaring flight - 28 minutes)  Note a well dufffled up Andy ready to lift the starboard wing - it was still cold!)

Andy watches them launch into what has become a promising sky

Josh Wehner using coordinated turns to climb in the thermals in his first soaring flight (33 minutes).

The weather beginning to improve (Ed: The magic is starting to happen).

The airfield from the west

Josh and Mike watch a glider launch to join the party (Ed:  Clue - Look at the centre of the L-shaped field towards the top of the picture).

Richard in K13, FGR joins Mike below him in a thermal and they both watch a glider launching (Ed: Middle right, right of the centre track)

Keeping a good lookout while thermalling

In between the club training and the One Day Courses the privateers managed to fly; Andy (who connected with the wave - 2 hours 59 minutes), Pete (who also got in to the wave - 3 hours 2 minutes), Phil (2 hours and 45 minutes), and me (1 hour 24 minutes - I was called down.  That's my defence and I am sticking to it!).  By then we were very short-handed on the ground and after I landed I was bundled into the retrieve vehicle and promptly dispatched to drive the winch. Andy and then Peter landed which helped to ease the manpower shortage.

My view from the winch of the beautiful sky I had just come down from

After 40 minutes of climbing Peter connects with the wave and is soaring above the clouds

While the wave adventures were going on others were soaring in the thermals including the "Night Owl" with Mike (Ed: Andrew is 51 minutes your longest flight to date?).  Martin Broadway took three check flights with Mike to shake off that rustiness that happens when you are away enjoying oneself (Ed: That didn't stop him soaring for 33 minutes though. I hear that after a launch failure exercise or two you will be competing with Andy to get back in the Libelle's cockpit).

Looking to the east this is a Kestrel's eye view of the moors

Andy's view of the wave while looking towards Lydford Gorge

Another view of the woods around Lydford Gorge from a bit higher

Andy tops out at around 5,500 ft in his Libelle (Ed:  I love the New Zealand style two purple yaw strings.  Its this the secret to your success?).

Andy looks down on the wispies from 5,500 feet QNH (Ed: So Silver height was available with a large margin to spare for those who are chasing it)

Mike flies Malcolm Johnson on his last flight of the One Day Course and eases Richard's instructing load (Ed: That's the official line! You mean Richard is still in the air with Lee having fun on a 51 minute soaring flight). 

A delighted Lee Champ receives his certificate as Malcolm Wilton-Jones and Robin Wilson in the Twin Astir photo bomb the shot!

Malcolm Johnson receives his end of course certificate from instructor Richard

Then it was time to derig the privateers, put the Twin Astir in the T-hangar after 1 hour 2 minutes aloft, reminisce, exchange tall tales, and reluctantly put the club toys away. From the log book; 23 flights which made for a total of 16 hours 17 minutes flight time.  This gave an average flight time of 81 minutes for the soaring flights.  What an amazing day.

In Sum: A day that started out cold with the promise of wave.  That evaporated, the sun came out, it got thermic, everyone soared, and some connected with the elusive wave.  Twelve pilots flew.  Twelve pilots soared.  Happy pilots, happy instructors, and delighted One Day Course members.  All were a little bit frazzled and covered in sun cream after a great day out flying over the moors!

We look forward to more of the same when our fellow pilots from Devon and Somerset Gliding Club visit us for their expedition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Wave on!

Gavin Short